Simple spreads for a crowd
ColumbiaAuds’s party Wednesday night to kick-off her new Jewish Advocate dating column was a lot of fun, and the delicious cream-cheese-based spreads I provided were no small part of that success. Well, they were only a small part, but I thought they were tasty and easy, so I’ll share:
BOURSIN-STYLE SPREAD
32 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried parsley
BLUE CHEESE SPREAD
32 oz. cream cheese, softened
7 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
4 Tbs. finely grated sweet onion
2 Tbs. worcestershire
dashes of Tobasco to taste
For either spread, combine all ingredients and chill several hours. Serve with a variety of crackers. Each makes approximately 4 cups.
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Kosher Chymosin Rennet
It’s been a while since my last posting in the realm of cheesemaking, and though I haven’t performed any further experiments yet (milk supply is cut off during winter), I’ve received some good news on kosher rennet.
Jonathan writes:
I’d like to say that I have been able to purchase OU-kosher Liquid GMO Chymosin (microbial rennet) produced by Chr. Hansen and distributed by the litre (about $45.00) by Kelley Supply, (800) 782-8573.
This microbial stuff is said to work better than the fungus-based rennet, as it’s genetically identical to the animal-based original.
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Royal George cheeses
Having first caught a glimpse of Royal George cheeses at KosherFest, I was excited to see them appear in my local kosher dairy case. I took the opportunity to purchase all three available varieties ($5.29/each at the Butcherie) for a thorough sampling.
Production
The Royal George line (called “Chevington” in the UK) is produced by Dew-Lay Products, Ltd in Garstang, Lancashire, England. According to their website, Dew-Law is the country’s largest manufacturer of Kosher cheese… which they’re very proud of: “The Kosher stamp of certification … is seen as the hallmark of a quality cheese.” (Have they eaten mainstream kosher cheeses before?) Atalanta Corporation of Elizabeth, NJ imports the cheese.
Supervision
Cheeses are under the “full-time supervision” of the Kedassia Beth Din, and feature an OU heksher in the states.
Taste
The three cheeses we sampled were Mild White Cheddar, Double Gloucester, and Red Leicester, the annatto contents of which increase in that order. At first, that was the only real difference we could discern between the three of them. All of them are creamy and mild, and the cheddar was only slightly crumblier compared to the others. Upon reviewing Judy Ridgway’s The Cheese Companion (which is a very useful little book), we discovered that the three cheeses are supposed to be very similar (aside from color). However, the various characteristics I’ve seen described in print and online (Double Gloucester as “nutty” with an “orange-zest tang,” Red Leicester as “delicately sweet”) seem to be absent from either these cheeses or my taste buds’ available sensations.
Overall
The cheeses were tasty, but I wouldn’t choose the Royal George cheddar over the cheaper, domestic Tillamook, and I wouldn’t go out of my way for the other, orangier varieties. Maybe Dew-Lay will start exporting their Mature Cheddar or Gouda varieties, which would certainly be more interesting. The absence of a good, aged cheddar from the kosher market is sorely noted.
Update: Ian Coggin of Dew-Lay says we’ll have to be patient for the introduction of a mature kosher cheddar, as they’ve only recently launched into the U.S. market, and it takes 12 to 18 months to age.
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Cheese Experiment 3
Okay, this time I nixed the rennet altogether and chose a recipe using lemon juice as coagulant: Barbara Ciletti’s “Whole-Cream Ricotta,” page 55. Not surprisingly, the lemon juice adds a mild, lemony flavor to the smooth, creamy cheese.
My main challenge was evenly heating the milk directly on the stove. It was difficult to get the liquid above 160 degrees without one spot or another starting to boil. In the end, I probably had a smaller curd than the ideal, which makes it tough to ladle out the curds without taking excess whey with it. After draining for 20 minutes, though, the finished product seemed just fine.
Since the cheese is a bit lemony, I think I’ll use it to make some sort of dessert. Any ideas?
In other news — since I wanted to create a double-boiler effect with two pots, I have decided that I’d be better off just buying a double boiler. Duh. The new pot will go back to Sur La Table, and I’ll purchase something like this. Also, my good friend Elliot called with some great news tonight. Rabbi Love of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah has said that it’s acceptable to purchase kosher liquid rennet from a specialty dairy supply house which simply repackages it into smaller bottles. Huzzah!
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Cheese Experiment Two
Okay, same recipe as last time, only with four packets of Danisco starter culture. I used the same rennet solution that I had mixed the night before — not sure how long the rennet lasts once in solution.
Long story short — results were nearly the same. Mostly milk, thick coagulated film on top.
In the future, I’ll certainly be using the Ezal culture, but I’m starting to think that the powdered rennet just doesn’t cut it. If no one wants to split the kosher 5-gallon liquid rennet, maybe we have some budding philanthropists who are willing to donate a bottle for the cause? :)
Tonight, I’m trying the Lemon Cheese recipe, using lemon juice as coagulant. Wish me luck.
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Cheese Experiment 1
It has been some time since I first resolved to experiment with kosher cheesemaking. I first acquired two acclaimed books on home cheesemaking, then researched sources of dairy supplies, including starter culture, rennet, milk, and equipment. Finally, I joined up with a “drive sharing” group to secure a regular supply of fresh, raw milk. This past weekend was my first milk run as part of the group. Traveling companion Chaim and I drove out to Chase Hill Farm in Warwick, MA (a brisk trip down Route 2) and after locating the makeshift farm store (it’s to the right of the garage, beyond the two dogs, FYI), we loaded up the cooler with cool, clean straight-from-the-udder milk. Surprisingly, raw milk is a pale golden color, unlike the shockingly sterile white of store-bought dairy.
On our return trip, we stopped at Sur La Table for kitchen supplies:
* perforated spoon
* pot
* curd knife / frosting spatula (for later use)
* large strainer
* pyrex measuring cup
* digital thermometer
* extra cheesecloth
The staff there was quite helpful, and even a bit excited about helping an amateur cheesemaker (probably don’t see folks like us often).
Once home, after the Patriots game and after running all my equipment through the dishwasher for safety, I began my first cheese experiment, Lactic Cheese (Carroll, page 70). Two problems immediately arose. First, make sure you have a giant pot, larger than your designated dairy pot, to form a double-boiler for both pasteurizing milk and warming it for the cheesemaking process. This is tougher than you might imagine, so put in some forethought. Second, the only manufacturer-sealed kosher rennet product I could find was Valiren powdered rennet, available at Danlac.com. This 1-gram packet is enough rennet to innoculate 100 liters of milk — I was only working with 1 gallon. So, I figured I could dilute the rennet in (spring — not tap!) water: 100 mL water with 1 gram powder, then 1 mL solution per gallon. The recipe, however, called for “3 drops of liquid rennet.” Frantically, I jumped onto the author’s online store to learn more about her particular “liquid rennet.” Luckily, the site indicated that 1/2 teaspoon of the liquid rennet treats 2 gallons (approx. 8 liters). After some intense algebra, I deduced that 10 drops of my solution was nearly equivalent to 3 drops of the prescribed liquid rennet.
In the end, though, I completely neglected the simple algebra, forgetting that the packets of mesophilic starter I had (also from Danlac) only treat 1 liter each. I used a scant single packet in my gallon of milk.
The results 12 hours later (this morning) were disappointing: predominantly liquid milk with only a negligble layer of coagulated film on top. The entire exercise, though, was useful in that I familiarized myself with the critical early steps of the process and could begin to evaluate the fitness of my enzymes.
Tonight is Experiment Two — four packets of starter, same amount of rennet solution.
Whether or not my second try fails, I’m researching other sources of enzymes. The Dairy Connection carries OU-certified EZAL cultures, which should be more straightforward to use than the eurocentric Danisco cultures. I’m still stuck with the Valiren rennet, though, unless I buy a gallon jug of the liquid at great cost.
Is anyone (plural) out there willing to split (several ways) a 5-gallon jug? I’m happy to purchase it, divide it into smaller containers with great care, and mail it out to my comrades-in-cheese. Please contact me ASAP if you’re interested.
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Shapes of the Cape
The other day, for our multi-reason celebration, a friend of ours brought a new snack — Shapes of the Cape by the Cape Cod Potato Chip Company, a division of Lance®. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be such a big deal at all, but these cheese snacks (in the shapes of lighthouses, whale tails, seagulls, and seashells) had two interesting marks on the package — 1) in ginormous writing (okay, maybe not quite ginormous) the package said made with real Cabot cheddar, and 2) a prominent OU-D. You are now thinking, “Hey Jon, I didn’t know Cabot cheddar was supervised by the OU.” And I’m thinking, “Neither did I.” So, an inquiry has been sent and a response is awaited. Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, enjoy your new bag of Shapes of the Cape.
Thanks for waiting — here is the OU’s response:
Dear Jonathan,
Thank you for checking with the OU on your Kashruth question.
The following is certified kosher dairy when the OU-D appears on the label.
| Label Name |
Symbol |
Brand Name |
| Shapes Of The Cape Cheddar Crackers |
OU-D |
Cape Cod |
The cheese used for this product is certified kosher dairy by the OU and is not available for consumer use.
Please don?t hesitate to contact us again should you have any further questions.
With best wishes for a joyful, peaceful and healthy summer season, we remain
Sincerely,
The Web (be) Rebbe
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Funky Cappiello from TJs
We’ve lauded the fine mozzarella products from Cappiello on the blog in the past, but it looks like our local Trader Joe’s has an “off” batch of the 1 lb. blocks. We tried making pizza with it last week, but it was so soft that it couldn’t possibly be shredded — the normally firm and stringy cheese was practically a paste. Even freezing the cheese wasn’t enough to make it shreddable. So, be cautious — don’t buy three pounds at once like us.
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Gourmet Cheese by the piece
For those of us who couldn’t commit to an entire case of gourmet cheese, GourmetFoodStore.com is once again offering kosher cheese by the piece. Currently, Roquefort (cheese info) and Mimolette (cheese info) are available, but others may be on the way depending on demand.
And that’s where we, the kosher consumers, come in. GFS would like to know what our preferred cheeses are, so they can properly stock individual pieces — please let them know!
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Barkanit cheeses at Butcherie
Goodness, I’ve been quite a blog slacker, and not for lack of quality material. Anyhow, I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, especially now that my wife has a beautiful new iBook G4 laptop with which I can compose my posts, and from any room in the apartment, no less.
Well, last Friday, while visiting the Butcherie (see that La Briute post), I noticed they’re now carrying Barkanit cheese from Israel. I had a chance to try two Barkanit varieties — Tavor and Shahat — several weeks ago by ordering from iGourmet.com (see link at right).
Both are made from a blend of goat’s milk and sheep’s milk, and are real treats — definitely more intense than the typical Brie/Camembert types that are commonly available.
Buy a couple cheeses, a bottle of crisp white wine, some water crackers, and maybe a bunch of grapes… then turn a warm summer evening into a fine culinary experience — and support Israel while you’re at it.
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